Mailbox signal device



Aug. 4, 1964 M. O. HOLT MAIL-BOX SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1962 Mitchell 0. Half INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,143,287 MAILBOX SIGNAL DEVICE Mitchell 0. Holt, Bakersfield, Calif. (352 S. Palm Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif.) Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 225,345 2 Claims. (Cl. 232-35) The present invention generally relates to improvements in conventional rural mailboxes, and more particularly to a novel mailbox signal device for automatically indicating a mail delivery.

The necessity of positioning rural mailboxes at points, in many instances, a substantial distance from the residence has given rise to the problem of providing an effective means for indicating a mail delivery so as to avoid any unnecessary trips to the mailbox, and while it is appreciated that many such devices are both known and used, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which it is felt clearly constitutes an advance over the previously known devices.

It is an object of the present invention to also provide a mailbox signal device which can quickly be applied to conventional rural mailboxes with only the provision of two small holes being necessary, the remainder of the mailbox remaining unchanged.

Likewise, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal device which will be clearly visible, especially in the position indicating that the mail has been delivered.

Additionally, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal device which, though simple in construction, provides an effective signal means capable of economical construction and incapable of malfunctioning during normal use.

In accomplishing the above objects, a signal means consisting of an upright member formed in the shape of a flag-staff and flag is pivotally mounted on one side of a rural mailbox with a small tab being provided on the member and extending perpendicular therefrom for retention by the rearwardly extending peripheral flange on the mail- 7 box door. Upon an opening of this door, such as would naturally occur during a mail delivery, the tab is released and the flag member, overbalanced by the outwardly projecting flag portion, gravitates downwardly until encountering the outer end of the bracket which acts as a stop so as to provide for an orientation of the signal means perpendicular to the mailbox thus assuring its ready visibility.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective View of a rural mailbox with the signal device of the present invention being located in its normal first position prior to a mail delivery;

FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating the manner in which the signal device will assume the second position upon an opening of the mailbox door such as would occur during a mail delivery;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional View taken substantially on a plane passing along line 33 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the supporting bracket of the signal device comprising the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral generally indicates a rural mailbox, with reference numeral 12 generally indicating the pivotally supported mailbox door normally provided thereon, inter- 3,143,287 Patented Aug. 4, 1964 ice locking straps 14 and 16 being used to secure the door in a closed position relative to the mailbox 10. The door 12, as will be appreciated from the drawings, is provided with a rearwardly extending peripheral flange 18 which is of significance in the operation of the signal device comprising the present invention as shall be gone into presently.

The signal device is generally referred to by reference numeral 20 and consists basically of a supporting bracket 22 and a signal means or member 24.

The bracket 22, formed of an integral piece of metal such as aluminum, consists of two vertically extending panels 26 and 28 inter-connected at their lower edge by a bight portion 39 and provided at their inter-ends with integrally formed rearwardly projecting perpendicular portions 32 and 34. These portions 32 and 34, as will best be appreciated from FIGURE 4, are in rigidifying engagement with each other with the portion 34 extending a substantial distance beyond the outer end of the portion 32 so as to provide sufiicient room for a pair of apertures 36 therethrough which are to receive the attaching screws 38 used to secure the entire signal device to the side of the mailbox 10 adjacent the door 12. While it is contemplated that the two screws 38 extending through the apertures in the portion 34 be suflicient to securely main tain the signal device 20, an additional aperture 40 may be provided through both portions 32 and 34 for the reception of a screw 42.

The signal means 24 of the signal device 21? consists of a single piece of flat metal, preferably aluminum, shaped so as to present a relatively thin elongated staif portion 44, the lower end of which is pivotally mounted between the vertical panels 26 and 28 by a suitable pivot means such as the screw 46 extending through aligning apertures 48, and a transversely extending relatively wide portion 50 projecting outwardly from the upper end of the staff portion 44 in the manner of a flag. It will be appreciated that this flag portion 50 will result in the orientation of the major Weight of the member 24 being to the outer side of the pivoted lower end so as to result in a natural gravitation of the member 24 to the position indicated in FIGURE 2 wherein the falling of the member 24 is limited by the bracket 22 so as to project perpendicularly from the mailbox.

In order to maintain the signal means 24 in the upright position indicated in FIGURE 1 prior to a mail delivery, a tab 52 is provided with this tab projecting forwardly at substantially right angles to the plane of the member 24 for engagement between the door flange 18 and the adjacent side of the mailbox 10 as noted in FIG- URES 1 and 3. As will be readily appreciated, the signal device 20 must, of course, be orientated on the mailbox 16 in a position sufiiciently close to the door 12 so as to enable this engagement of the tab '52 beneath the flange 18. The engagement of the tab 52 between the flange 18 and the mailbox 10 retains the signal device 20 in a vertical position relative to the mailbox, and, upon a subsequent opening of the mailbox door the flange 18 is pulled outwardly and causes a release of the tab 52 and a subsequent outward and a downward pivoting of the flag means or member 24 resulting from a greater portion of the Weight thereof being positioned outwardly of the pivot means 46 at the lower end of the staff portion 44.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, it will be appreciated that a relatively simple though highly efficient means has been defined for providing a positive easily seen indication of a mail delivery such as is essential in many rural areas to avoid the taking of an unnecessary trip to the mailbox. This device, as explained in detail supra, consists essentially of a bracket means and a signal means pivotally secured thereto for movement between a first position vertical to the mailbox and a second posit-ion perpendicular thereto with a small tab being provided on the signal means for engagement by the mailbox door in its closed position, a subsequent opening of the mailbox door releasing the tab and allowing the signal device to fall into its outwardly extending perpendicular position. Further, while the above description specifically describes the use of screws to both pivotally secure the signal means and fixedly secure the bracket to the mailbox, it will be appreciated that various other types of fastener means can be used, such as for example, rivets.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a mailbox having at least one substantially vertical side wall and a forwardly swinging front door including a rearwardly extending flange thereon overlapping the exterior of said side wall, a signal device for automatically indicating the opening of said door, said signal device consisting of an elongated signal having a laterally extending flag portion at one end thereof, and a bracket means mounting said signal on said side wall, said bracket means consisting of two vertical spaced elongated panels integrally connected along their lower edges by a bottom panel, and a mounting plate rigid with and projecting laterally from the inner end of the vertical panels, said mounting plate being engaged flush against said side wall with the two elongated panels extending perpendicularly outward from the side Wall slightly to the rear of the door flange, fastener means fixing the mounting plate, and consequently the bracket means, to said side wall, said elongated signal having the other end thereof orientated between the vertical panels adjacent the inner ends thereof, means pivotally fixing said other end of the signal for movement of the signal in a vertical plane parallel to and between said vertical panels, said signal being movable between a first verticalposition perpendicular to the bottom panel and parallel and adjacent to the mailbox side wall, and a second position parallel to the bottom panel and perpendicular to the mailbox side wall, said signal in said second position contacting and being supported by said bottom panel, said signal, when in said first position, having the flag portion thereof projecting laterally outward perpendicular to the mailbox side wall so as to overbalance the signal outwardly for inducing gravitational movement of the signal to the second position, and a tab on said signal projecting laterally therefrom for engagement between the side wall and the door flange when the signal is in said first position and the door is closed, so as to prevent movement of the signal to said second position until the door is swung open and the flange moved away from the tab.

2. In combination with a mailbox having at least one substantially vertical side wall and a forwardly swinging front door including a rearwardly extending flange thereon overlapping the exterior of said side wall, a signal device for automatically indicating the opening of said door, said signal device consisting of an elongated signal having a laterally extending flag portion at one end thereof, and a bracket means mounting said signal on said side wall, said bracket means consisting of at least one vertical elongated panel integrally connected along its lower edge with a horizontal bottom panel, and a mounting plate rigid with and projecting laterally from the inner end of the vertical panel, said mounting plate being engaged flush against said side wall with the elongated panel extending perpendicularly outward from the side wall slightly to the rear of the door flange, fastener means fixing the mounting plate, and consequently the bracket means, to said side wall, said elongated signal having the other end thereof orientated adjacent the inner end of the vertical panel, means pivotally fixing said other end of the signal to the vertical panel for movement of the signal in a vertical plane parallel to said vertical panel, said signal being movable between a first vertical position perpendicular to the bottom panel and parallel and adjacent to the mailbox side wall, and a second position parallel to the bottom panel and perpendicular to the mailbox side wall, said signal in said second position contacting and being supported by said bottom panel, said signal, when in said first position, having the flag portion thereof projecting laterally outward perpendicular to the mailbox side wall so as to overbalance the signal outwardly for inducing gravitational movement of the signal to the second position, and a tab on said signal projecting laterally therefrom for engagement between the side wall and the door flange when the signal is in said first position and the door is closed, so as to prevent movement of the signal to said second position until the door is swung open and the flange moved away from the tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 685,058 Phillips Oct. 22, 1901 1,458,836 McDowell June 12, 1923 2,852,185 Stouten Sept. 16, l 

2. IN COMBINATION WITH A MAILBOX HAVING AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDE WALL AND A FORWARDLY SWINGING FRONT DOOR INCLUDING A REARWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE THEREON OVERLAPPING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SIDE WALL, A SIGNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY INDICATING THE OPENING OF SAID DOOR, SAID SIGNAL DEVICE CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED SIGNAL HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING FLAG PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF, AND A BRACKET MEANS MOUNTING SAID SIGNAL ON SAID SIDE WALL, SAID BRACKET MEANS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE VERTICAL ELONGATED PANEL INTEGRALLY CONNECTED ALONG ITS LOWER EDGE WITH A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM PANEL, AND A MOUNTING PLATE RIGID WITH AND PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE INNER END OF THE VERTICAL PANEL, SAID MOUNTING PLATE BEING ENGAGED FLUSH AGAINST SAID SIDE WALL WITH THE ELONGATED PANEL EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY OUTWARD FROM THE SIDE WALL SLIGHTLY TO THE REAR OF THE DOOR FLANGE, FASTENER MEANS FIXING THE MOUNTING PLATE, AND CONSEQUENTLY THE BRACKET MEANS, TO SAID SIDE WALL, SAID ELONGATED SIGNAL HAVING THE OTHER END THEREOF ORIENTATED ADJACENT THE INNER END OF THE VERTICAL PANEL, MEANS PIVOTALLY FIXING SAID OTHER END OF THE SIGNAL TO THE VERTICAL PANEL FOR MOVEMENT OF THE SIGNAL IN A VERTICAL PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID VERTICAL PANEL, SAID SIGNAL BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST VERTICAL POSITION PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOTTOM PANEL AND PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE MAILBOX SIDE WALL, AND A SECOND POSITION PARALLEL TO THE BOTTOM PANEL AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE MAILBOX SIDE WALL, SAID SIGNAL IN SAID SECOND POSITION CONTACTING AND BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID SIGNAL, WHEN IN SAID FIRST POSITION, HAVING THE FLAG PORTION THEREOF PROJECTING LATERALLY OUTWARD PERPENDICULAR TO THE MAILBOX SIDE WALL SO AS TO OVERBALANCE THE SIGNAL OUTWARDLY FOR INDUCING GRAVITATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE SIGNAL TO THE SECOND POSITION, AND A TAB ON SAID SIGNAL PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM FOR ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE SIDE WALL AND THE DOOR FLANGE WHEN THE SIGNAL IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND THE DOOR IS CLOSED, SO AS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE SIGNAL TO SAID SECOND POSITION UNITL THE DOOR IS SWUNG OPEN AND THE FLANGE MOVED AWAY FROM THE TAB. 